(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector having retainers which serve to double lock terminal metal fixtures in a connector housing.
(2) Statement of the Prior Art
For convenience of explanation, a conventional connector having retainers will be described below by referring to FIGS. 14 to 17.
FIG. 14 is an exploded longitudinal sectional view of a conventional female connector, illustrating retainers which are provided apart from the connector. FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of the female connector in which the retainers are attached in a retracted position. FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the female connector shown in FIG. 14 in which the retainers are attached in an advanced position. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view of the female connector shown in FIG. 14 in which a latch of each retainer could not be inserted into each cavity.
As shown in FIG. 14, a conventional connector comprises a housing a provided with a plurality of juxtaposed cavities b and a pair of retainers c each of which is attached to each of upper and lower surfaces of the housing a. Each retainer c has a side plate d on opposite lateral ends so that the side plates bridge the housing a laterally and has a latch f adapted to fit in each cavity b through a window e formed in each of upper and lower walls of the housing a.
The retainers c are attached to the housing a in a retracted position shown in FIG. 15 from a detached position shown in FIG. 14. In the retracted position, the latch f of each retainer c is disposed in the window e in the housing a, so that the terminal metal fixture can be inserted into and detached from the cavity b. Under this state, when the terminal metal fixture is inserted into the cavity b until the fixture engages with a lance g on a bottom wall of the cavity b, the fixture is temporarily locked in the cavity b. Then, the retainer c is slid to an advanced position shown in FIG. 16 in a down slant direction shown by an arrow in FIG. 15 while a bottom face h of the side plate d of the retainer c contacts with a guide face on a side end of the housing a. When the latch f enters the cavity b, the terminal metal fixture is regularly or double locked in the cavity b.
However, the retainer c which is used in such a connector tends to bulge in the lateral direction of the housing a, since the retainer c is short in length and long in width. Consequently, when the retainer c is slid on the housing a from the retracted position shown in FIG. 15 to the advanced position shown in FIG. 16, a center portion of the retainer c comes up from the housing a in the width direction, so that the latch f cannot enter the cavity b and rides on an edge of the window e. If such a failure is overlooked, a force by which the retainer c holds the terminal metal fixture will weaken, since the latch f cannot lock the fixture. If such a failure is found, it is possible to reset the retainer c. However, this requires much time and effort and results in a lowering of production efficiency.
Such a problem will occur in a connector wherein retainers are united through hinges to a housing.